1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the field of the method of manufacture of dermatological treatment products. More specifically, the invention comprises a method for forming hydrated, nonwoven nanocellulose sheets for use as dermatological treatment.
2. Description of the Related Art
Nanocellulose, or nano-structured cellulose is comprised of cellulose particles or fibers which have been exfoliated from cellulose fibrils using either mechanical or chemical means. The “nano” portion indicates that at least one dimension is measured in nanometers. This is in contrast with other fibers having similar geometry that are formed by dissolving the cellulose and regenerating it. Nanocellulose materials can be derived from wood, algae, plant or bacterial sources.
Due to the relative strength (especially in terms of strength/weight ratio), viscosity, and other mechanical properties, nanocellulose can be used for many applications. Some of the applications for nanocellulose include fillers for food products, paper towels or other paper products that benefit from the increased absorbency, reinforcing plastics, medical and pharmaceutical applications, as well as multiple other applications.
Similar to nanocellulose, hydrogels of alginate, starch, polymers or cellulose can hold a significant amount of water. For this reason, both materials are often used in situations where it is important to maintain a certain level of saturation and/or absorption. One application of hydrogels is for a dermatological mask. Hydrogels are often used for dermatological masks because of the large amount of water that hydrogels can hold. This coupled with dermatological agents allow a user to apply this saturated mask to his or her skin Unfortunately, these masks have a low degree of conformability to the skin and are not porous. This lack of porosity does not allow the skin to absorb as much of the dermatologically active ingredients. Hydrogels are cross-linked polymers which are well known in the art, especially using dermatologically active ingredients.
In addition to using cross-linked alginates, nonwoven sheets with dermatologically active ingredients may be used for dermatological masks. These nonwoven sheets are formed using long fibers which are bonded together using chemical, mechanical, heat, or solvent treatment. A flat, porous sheet is typically formed using this method.
Therefore, what is needed is a device and method which is capable of transpiring or evaporating water through a dermatological mask, thereby causing a dynamic fluid system between the skin beneath the sheet and the sheet itself. Additionally, a method which is capable of incorporating particulates and solution-based active ingredients at many different phases of the method, allowing for evenly dispersed ingredients is needed. The present invention achieves this objective, as well as others that are explained in the following description.